Roman marble portrait of Claudius

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Lifelike marble bust of Emperor Claudius towers overhead. In contrast to earlier Julio-Claudian examples, the hairstyle is neatly trimmed above the brow. Originally designed to fit seamlessly into a larger statue, the head now stands alone, its surface only rough-hewn enough for later addition of hair made from stucco. The delicate features of the face remain untouched since its initial carving, frozen in time between AD 41 and 54.